Kevin Mann, a skip lorry driver admitted crushing a car under an articulated lorry after not paying attention and braking too late. He smashed into a line of four cars with such force all the vehicles, including a heavy goods vehicle slammed forward.

The Golf, driven by a 27-year-old woman, was pushed under a lorry on December 9 last year in Colchester, Essex.

Stunned onlookers did not at first realise there was a car squashed between the heavy vehicles.

Jessica Ward, prosecuting, said the woman driver had "no recollection over what occurred that day. She is still undergoing treatment and recovering.

“She was severely affected by what happened as a direct result of Mann's failure to properly brake his large vehicle. She suffered multiple injuries including a deep laceration to her left eye, damage to the optic nerve and a fractured skull.

“She fractured her left shoulder and had a plate inserted. Another plate was inserted into a bone in her left arm and she suffered damage to two vertebrae in her back.”

He is genuinely remorseful. He feels desperately sorry for the injuries he caused

Tom Gent

Colchester Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that Mann, of Great Horkesley, Essex, was driving along the road from Colchester and towards Coggeshall. Just 15 minutes earlier there had been another crash on the same stretch of road.

A line of cars, with a Seat Ibiza, Toyota Hilux, the articulated lorry and then the Golf were waiting to turn.

Mann, a driver with Colchester Skip Hire, noticed too late and smashed into the queue of traffic.

Miss Ward said: “The lorry went into the rear of the Golf and pushed it forward into the articulated lorry. It was squidged in between the two vehicles.”

He told the magistrates the temperature was below freezing and there may have been ice on the road. Mann, who has been driving for 31 years and as a lorry driver for 22 years, was not speeding and had not been drinking.

However, evidence from a tacograph showed he braked too late in his Scania lorry. Mann admitted one count of driving without due care and attention.

CASCADA

Kevin Mann was fined just £350 over the incident

Magistrates said £350 was the maximum fine they could impose. Mann was also given six penalty points and ordered to pay a £550 costs and a £35 victim surcharge.

At the time of the crash Sgt Damon Bainbridge, senior investigating officer, said it was incredible the victim survived. "It is extremely unlikely to get a survivor in a crash like this. If they did survive, we would expect them to have life threatening or life changing injuries. It goes to show what a difference the quality of vehicle construction can make and what else can I call it except luck.

Eyewitness Stuart Hunt, who was exchanging details after he had been involved in a minor crash 50 yards away 10 minutes earlier, was one of the first people at the scene.

He said: “A car braked and the lorry did not stop. There was screeching and a lorry hit a lorry. We called the police but we did not know there was a car in the middle until we went and had a look.

“The car was destroyed - I thought the driver was a goner. The emergency services were brilliant, they were here in 10 minutes."

The crash happened yards from the entrance to Red Lion pub. John Murray, landlord, said: “I was in bed having a cup of tea when I heard a monumental thud. I came outside and saw the devastation. A skip lorry had hit the back of another lorry and there was car, obliterated, in-between. It had taken the top off and you could barely see the car. The lorries were touching.”

Mr Murray also praised the emergency services. He said: “They were here straight away. They were fantastic. You see programmes on television about these sort of crashes but to see first hand so many people involved, controlled, all doing their bit of the job.”